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I don't want to beat a dead horse but I'm bugged.

I just can't clear my head of this. I don't want to start a measurements vs listening war and I'd appreciate it if you guys don't, but I bought a Rogue Sphinx V3 as some of you may remember and have been enjoying it quite a bit. So, I head over to AVS and read Amir's review and he just rips it apart. But that's OK, measurements are measurements, that is not what bugs me. I learned in the early 70s that distortion numbers, etc, may not be that important to me. Then I read that he didn't even bother listening to the darn thing. That is what really bugs me. If something measures so poorly, wouldn't you want to correlate the measurements with what you hear? Do people still buy gear on measurements alone? I learned that can be a big mistake. I just don't get it, never have. Can anybody provide some insight to why some people are stuck on audio measurements? Help me package that so I can at least understand what they are thinking without dismissing them completely as a bunch of mislead sheep. 

russ69
russ69's avatar
russ69 OP
3,579 posts
 

When it suits you you will claim -80db is not audible... I expect at high volume in quiet passages it may be...

You would be totally wrong. If I heard any noise I would freak out. All my gear is dead quiet, I work hard to make sure it is. If it’s not dead quiet it gets repaired or returned. I hear zero noise from my Sphinx V3. 80 db were the peaks at certain low frequencies (Class D issues), but most of the noise was minus 100 db.

Those are peaks.

Yes, that is db down, it gets better from there.

deludedaudiophile
493 posts
 

@russ69 

 

Those are peaks.

Yes, that is db down, it gets better from there.

 

It appears it does not get better from there.

But if you happy with it it does not matter. I would be surprised if this was not audible in some manor.

 

 

Returning to the V3's performance at the loudspeaker outputs, channel separation (not shown) was the same as before, at 60dB in both directions below 1kHz and around 40dB at the top of the audioband. The V3's unweighted signal/noise ratio in the audioband, taken with the line input shorted but the volume control at its maximum, was also the same at 67.7dB left and 66.1dB right, both ref. 2.83V into 8 ohms. This was primarily due to full-wave–rectified, supply-related spuriae (fig.2), though the random noise floor components were also relatively high in level.

 

russ69's avatar
russ69 OP
3,579 posts
 

This was primarily due to full-wave–rectified, supply-related spuriae .

In other words, peaks or spikes that make the measurement seem worse than it is. In this case low frequency spuriae due to class D design. No reviewer, and I must have read a dozen reviews heard any issues in the lower frequencies, nor do I. We can go all night on this. Do you own or have you heard the Sphinx V3? No mater, either has Amir.

deludedaudiophile
493 posts
 

In this case low frequency spuriae due to class D design.

 

Can you explain what class D has to do with low frequency spurs?

 

I don't think anything can make it worse than -66.1db. That seems pretty bad. I did a search on Sphinx. Several users noting noise issues. I did not find anything on the V3.

curiousjim's avatar
curiousjim
6,054 posts
 

Always let your ears guide you!

JD

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